UCC Claims Runner-up Spot In Green Rankings

UCC has maintained its place as the world’s second greenest university for the second year running.

Now in its fifth year, the Universitas Indonesia Greenmetric World University Rankings (UI) placed UCC in the runner up spot behind the University of Nottingham – beating competition from more established green institutes such as Oxford (5^th) and Berkley, California (9^th).

UCC significantly outperformed all other Irish universities with UL claiming the Irish runner up spot, earning a place just outside the top ten – someway ahead of DCU in 53^rd and Trinity in 104^th place respectively.

 “Sensitising our community to the limited resources of the globe through education and research and taking practical steps across the university in sustainability has proved successful once again in this ranking scheme.”

President Michael Murphy welcomed the result, noting that UCC’s second place ranking acknowledged our green credentials as well as the tireless efforts of many across the UCC community.

UCC Vice-President John O’Halloran also spoke out on the result: “This is great news in an ever competitive environment, with more and more universities taking part in this global green ranking. Sensitising our community to the limited resources of the globe through education and research and taking practical steps across the university in sustainability has proved successful once again in this ranking scheme.”

Reaction across social media was also positive, with words of congratulations coming from emeritus staff and television personalities, as well as the triumphant University of Nottingham.

Green initiatives undertaken rotated around a college funded awareness campaign that worked in tandem with the installation of heat recovery systems, solar panels and even a wind turbine.

The news adds to the long line of environmentally friendly credentials attributed to the Leeside campus. In 2010, UCC became the world’s first third level institute to be awarded the Green Flag – an accolade renewed in 2013. While in December 2014, UCC became the only shortlisted Irish representative in the European Business Awards for the Environment finals.

The campus is now set to exceed or at least satisfy the recommended energy consumption reduction target of 33% by 2020.